


Love is Blind

by ArtistOwl



Category: Greek and Roman Mythology
Genre: Blind Character, F/M, Fluff, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Medusa is not evil, Medusa the gorgon, Pregnancy, Tragedy, mythological accuracy, the gods are jerks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-07-27 10:05:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7613869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtistOwl/pseuds/ArtistOwl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Medusa figured that she was just cursed to live up in this cave for her life, never to be seen by anyone.<br/>Then a blind boy stumbled into her cave.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New Arrival

Medusa paced her cave furiously. She hated Athena. Stupid awful hateful goddess. Medusa had been in her temple with Poseidon because he said it was okay, and when the owl face goddess saw them, she’d thrown a hissy fit and taken it out on the mortal. Medusa was mad at Poseidon too, he should have known better. Gods just didn’t care about mortals at all. They would have their petty squabbles and jealous rages, and the mortals would get caught in the crossfire. The gods sucked.

Medusa had once been beautiful. She had thick dark brown hair that she always loved to do in braids and had nice facial features. He skin was a bit too tanned, but it had never bothered her. She was perfectly fine in her own skin. She wasn’t vain, but she didn’t have self-esteem issues.

That had changed. She hated her scales. She hated the under bite in her jaw and the bronze boar tusks that protruded from her mouth, making talking and eating so difficult. She hated the short bronze bat wings grafting from her back. She hated the claws on her fingers. She hated her hideous face.

Medusa sighed and rubbed her greatly protruding stomach. How many leg did her kids have? Shaking her head, she picked up her dagger and basket. The basket was to collect any fruit and roots she found for herself. The dagger wasn’t for self-protection, but because she wanted to find a squirrel or rat or something to feed her snakes, and they couldn’t eat stone. Hunting was hard when you couldn’t see what you were trying to catch. Luckily snakes didn’t need to eat that much. And before you ask, no, not even Medusa knew where it went. She had decided that it was best not to ask.

She was startled out of her latest scheme to collect some game without looking, when she heard a clatter of rocks in the twisting passageway out. “Who’s there?” she called. 

“Oh, sorry,” a young man’s voice called out. “I didn’t know anyone else was here. Um, where am I?” Footsteps started echoing around her cave, growing closer.

Medusa instinctively backed up in alarm. “No! You can’t come any closer!”

“Err, why? Is there some reason? I don’t know, I just need some help –” Medusa heard a dull thud and a muttered “ow”, and a boy stumbled through the entrance to her small room, falling on his face.

Medusa wanted to run over to him and help him up, make sure he was okay, but she couldn’t. If he even looked at her eyes, he would die. She opened her mouth to warn him to close his eyes, but it was too late. He looked up at her.

Medusa wailed softly and pressed her palms to her face, not wanting to see his transformation into stone. After a few seconds had passed and she hadn’t heard the crackle of the rock, she peeked in between her fingers.

The boy was somewhere in his mid-teens, with long curly black hair, a thin frame, and a dusty tunic and sandals. He was struggling to stand, propping himself up on a cane. His eyes were open wide. They were a milky white color.

Medusa gaped at the boy for a moment. “You’re blind,” she said, stunned, before realizing what she had just said and mentally kicked herself. “I mean – I’m sorry – I didn’t mean to –” The boy’s laughter cut her off.

“It’s fine,” he said, smiling good-naturedly. He extended his hand to her. “My name is Damalis.”

Medusa reached her hand out to shake his, but saw her scaled, clawed hand, and caught herself. She drew her hand back in and hugged it to her body. “My name is Medusa. What are you doing here?” Gods, she sounded so _rude._

“I was wondering that myself,” Damalis said casually, scratching his ear. “Where is here?”

“My cave.”

He looked surprised. “What is a woman doing, living in a cave?”

Medusa snorted softly and drew back a bit more. “Because I’m a monster.”

He tilted his head to the side. “You sound quite nice.”

“I sound rude as all Hades, and I look worse than Tartarus.”

“Well I can’t see that,” he said teasingly. “May I?” He reached his hand out in her direction.

Medusa retreated farther in alarm. “N-no! Please!” He dropped his hand to the side, looking a little bit disappointed. Medusa wondered if it was because he wanted to be able to know who he was talking to, what was going on, having his most needed sense deprived of him, but although she felt sorrow for him, she still didn’t want him to know what she looked like. Her once-beautiful body and face, now those of a grotesque monster – it was pretty much given that she had a few self-esteem issues.

“You should probably leave,” she said softly. She felt horrible for being so rude to him, but really, he ought to be at his village, wherever that was, not in a smelly cave with a monster. 

“Great. How do I do that? No offense, but it’s kind of a Labyrinth to me out there.” Medusa scoffed slightly, but felt a small smile tug at the side of her face. How could someone like him be so cheerful? If Medusa had had the same problem, she probably would have stayed in her house all the time, physically unable to step out –

_Like what you’re doing now._ No, it was different. She could hurt someone. She could kill someone.

Shaking the thoughts from her mind, she sighed. “I can guide you,” she said softly. Damalis’s smile somehow grew even larger.

“Thank you! That’s great!” He extended his hand, clearly expecting her to take it to guide him. Medusa placed her hand on his shoulder, careful to keep all of her skin covered by his sleeve, and made sure that her claws weren’t touching him at all.

“Please,” she whispered. He nodded, and she gently pushed him, guiding him out. He kept his hand on the wall as she led him out, as if he wanted to remember the route out. The idea that he would want to come back was so absurd though, Medusa dismissed it immediately

It turned out, it was hard not to touch someone while in close quarters. One of her wings brushed against him as they squeezed though a gap that could have easily let one person through, but they could barely pass together.

“What was that?” he asked.

“Um, it was nothing, it was just…”

“What?”

She mumbled something.

“Sorry, didn’t catch that.”

“My wings,” she muttered in a voice just a hair louder. She wanted to slap herself. Why had she told him?

“Wings?” Before she could react, he reached out and found her wings with his hand. And expression of absolute awe reached his face. “Woah…” His expression suddenly turned into alarm, and he hastily retracted his arm. “Sorry, I forgot, no touching.”

“I…I suppose it’s alright,” she murmured shyly, extending her wing towards him. Why had she done that?

Damalis smiled hugely, and found her wing again. He skimmed his fingers over the webs of skin, traced the bones, found the claw on the joint, ran his fingers down to where it grafted into scales.

Medusa shuddered as his fingers delicately moved over the sensitive skin, and folded her wings before he reached her back, then gently placed her hand on his shoulder again. “We should go.”

“That’s so amazing!” he chattered as they continued out. “Can you fly?”

“I…I suppose I could.”

“That’s so amazing!” Medusa almost laughed at his enthusiasm. He viewed the world so brightly.

“This is the exit,” she said, stopping as the rock floor turned into sand and grass.

“Thank you!” Medusa swore that grin could rival the sun. “I know the way home from here, I’d just wanted to explore a bit earlier.”

“That can be dangerous for you,” Medusa scolded.

“Well it didn’t end badly today! I mean, I face-planted rocks a couple times, but I’m pretty much used to that.” Medusa tried to stifle her laughter. She didn’t want to encourage him. 

“Just be careful,” she said, trying to keep the amused tone out of her voice.

Damalis gave her a mock salute. “Yes m’am!” before grinning cheerfully and giving her a wave before heading out in a casual jaunt, swinging his cane out before him.

Medusa watched him walk off with a small smile on her face, before her snakes dropped from her head in front of her face, staring at her. “What?” she asked in annoyance. Two of the largest ones twisted themselves into a heart shape. Medusa gritted her tusks and swatted them away. “I am not in love with Damalis,” she hissed at them. They hissed back, in a way that Medusa knew was laughter. “If you don’t get it together, you aren’t getting any food tonight.” They retreated back to the top of her head, still laughing. Medusa sighed but left them alone, and set out to find some something to eat. She made it quite a long way before she realized that she’d forgotten her basket and knife.


	2. Getting to Know You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we have more ancient Greek beings speaking in modern slang. Enjoy.

Nearly a week later, Medusa had almost forgotten about Damalis. Okay, that was a lie. She thought about him a lot – but hey! Her life was really boring. Nothing ever happened to her, so the only things she could ever think about was her old life, how much she missed her sisters, and how much she hated the gods. Damalis was the most interesting thing that had happened in months.

So it was a great surprise to her when she heard a cheery voice call “Hi Medusa! It’s Damalis!” before a thud was heard, and a dull “ow.” Damalis walked into her cave with his hand over his nose. “I swear that wall’s moved,” he muttered.

“You’re back!” She stuttered in surprise.

“Yep!” He smiled in her direction. “I hope I’m not unwelcome –”

“Oh no, you’re fine,” she quickly assured him. “I just – I didn’t– I never thought you’d come back.”

“I like you,” he said, smiling and plopping down on the ground. “You’re nice. And I’ve been trying to get out of the village for a while now. There’s only so much of the place one can take.”

Medusa tilted her head to the side. “What’s wrong with it?”

Damalis shrugged. “Some people want to hover over me every second of the day. Most apparently think that I’m deaf as well as blind. Oh, and I’m permanently banned from the marketplace.”

“How on earth did that happen?”

He grinned cheekily. “A highly embarrassing yet somehow hilarious story, involving a vase of water, several chickens, and an old man.”

Medusa couldn’t help but burst out laughing at the various situations her imagination cooked up. Her snakes seemed to find it funny too, and hissed in laughter.

Damalis suddenly looked alert, and cocked his head to the side. “I think I just heard snakes.” Medusa mentally cursed and stroked their heads until they calmed down.

“It’s okay. They’re mine.” Stupid, stupid, stupid. She ought to write a story: How to Screw up a Conversation.

“You have snakes as pets?” Somehow, Damalis didn’t sound disgusted or fearful. He sounded intrigued.

“Sort of.” Medusa almost put her foot in her mouth even further by explaining that they were actually her hair, but managed to catch herself in time. She wasn’t quite ready to explain that story yet.

“Neat,” he reclined, back against the wall. “Snakes are one of Athena’s sacred animals.” He grinned mischievously. “They say that when snakes hiss, they’re sharing secrets of great wisdom.” He snickered. “That always made so much sense to me. ‘Oh yes, hold that lovely snake a bit closer to your ear good sir, and listen to its wisdom.’” Medusa managed to force out a short laugh. She knew that bit of information of course, formerly being one of Athena’s priestesses, but she didn’t want to be reminded that the goddess’s sacred animal was hanging out on her head. She didn’t particularly want to be reminded of said goddess either.

“So, how is your life?” Damalis asked

“Boring. You’re the most interesting to ever happen to me honestly.”

He laughed. “Seriously? It's the same for me. It’s probably a sad statement on your part though that I’m the most interesting part of your life at present.”

“Well then it must be an extremely sad statement on your life that I’m the most interesting part of your life at present,” she countered.

He laughed again. “Let’s be sad together!”

Medusa couldn’t keep the smile off of her face. “You’re too happy to be sad.”

“That’s because there’s so much to be happy about!” As Damalis tried to cartwheel around her cave, falling on his face at every attempt, Medusa threw back her head and laughed.

Maybe she wasn’t so sad either.

~~~~~~~

Medusa was awoken from her nap with a “Hi Medu –” Thud. “Ow. Well, if that’s where I hit my head, then this must be where –” Thunk. “Ow.”

Medusa stifled a laugh as Damalis stumbled in, both hands clasping his forehead. “A double whammy today Damalis?”

“I don’t think your walls like me. I think that they purposely shift themselves around and jump out at me. Look at what they did to me!” He leaned his forehead to her right.

Medusa stifled another laugh. “Over here, she said, carefully putting her hand on his hair and guiding it around so he was facing her.

“You see! I’m all discombobulated.”

“That is not even a word.”

“Is too! And if it isn’t, that’s because your walls have a personal vendetta against me. Look, they tried to turn me into a satyr and give me horns!” he gestured wildly to his perfectly clear forehead.

“Damalis, you’re perfectly fine. You have a hard head, don’t worry.”

“I don’t know, it – hey, wait!” Medusa laughed at his offended reaction, and his face melted into a smile. “You actually made a joke! I don't think you've ever made a joke before!”

Medusa scoffed at his reaction and released his head. “How old are you, five?”

He grinned broadly. “Nope. Three.”

Medusa snickered softly at his immaturity. “You’re a fool Damalis. You do know that, right?”

“Being a fool is the best thing in the world,” he insisted.

“Why.”

Because you can do whatever you want and not care at all when people judge you!”

Medusa laughed and sat down, rubbing her stomach. Her kids were being particularly active today. She had been pregnant for eight months now, and she could actually see lumps poking out when they kicked her.

“So what do you eat?” Damalis asked.

“That’s not random at all.”

“Because you’re a self-proclaimed monster, and I wanted to know if you ate plants, or people food, or people are your food…”

“I don’t eat people!”

“Oh good, ‘cause I’m a person and I don’t want to be eaten by my friend.

Medusa stared at Damalis for a moment as he chattered on, not processing anything for a moment. Friend. He’d called her his friend. Medusa’s face split into the widest and happiest grin she had made in months.

~~~~~~~

By the second week, Damalis still ran into the wall before finding his way into her room.

“I thought the cane was so you wouldn’t run into things,” she noted dully, not standing up.

He grinned cheekily. “Yes, that’s the general idea. So when it decides to trip me, I don’t know what to do. I mean, it’s my last line of defense and it betrayed me.” He flopped dramatically to the ground. “Medusa, I’ve been betrayed.”

Medusa snorted. “First the walls, and now your cane?”

“I know right!” He propped his face up with his hand. “It’s a conspiracy, I swear! The walls will lean forward so much that my cane never touches them, but my face does!”

“Could it be perhaps that you just aren’t graceful enough?” Medusa teased. Damalis gasped as if he was mortally offended.

“How could you possibly suggest such a thing? I am the most absolute graceful being on the planet! Watch me!” He leapt to his feet and started to clumsily twirl and leap like an incredibly bad dancer. Medusa couldn’t stop laughing. “Look at me! I’m a beautiful dancer!” Medusa fell from her sitting position from laughing so hard and moaned in pain as her children shifted violently and kicked in protest.

“You alright there?” Damalis asked.

“I’m fine, you’re just so ridiculous it’s causing me physical pain.

“It’s because I am just so beautiful,” Damalis said, striking a pose. Medusa laughed before righting herself. She turned to him to say something, but her query died on her lips at the troubled look on his face. “Hey Medusa, what do I look like?”

Medusa quieted and stared at him for a second. “What?”

“What...what do I physically look like?”

Medusa realized for the first time that he had never seen himself. “Damalis? How old are you?”

“Seventeen.”

“And you have never asked anyone what you look like before me?” she demanded.

He shrugged. “I’ve asked my mom when I was younger, but I was maybe eight. I’ve felt my face before obviously, but I…I’d like to know what I look like. From someone else’s perspective. Because I don’t know.”

Medusa was silent for a moment. “You have dark curly hair,” she started softly. “It reaches halfway down your neck. You have a thin but slightly lean frame, and tanned skin. Your face is heart-shaped, and a little rugged-looking. You have low cheekbones, and a few freckles.

“What do my eyes look like?” he asked, a subtle hint of desperation hidden in his voice.

“Your eyes look like pearls,” Medusa said quietly.

“Do they look – bad?”

“They’re beautiful,” Medusa said instantly, before realizing what she had said and looked down, blushing through her scales. She glanced up through her lashes, and saw Damalis smiling slightly bashfully.

“And Medusa – what do you look like?” Medusa didn’t respond, shifting uncomfortably and folding her wings around herself. “Medusa,” she heard him sigh. “You know that I won’t judge you, right?”

“I know,” she murmured. “It’s just – I – I wasn’t, always, a monster. I was cursed into this form.” Damalis nodded understandingly.

“Me, I was born blind. Never seen a single thing in my life. I was born this way.” He started talking on about other things, and Medusa reclined back. She’d have to let him see her someday, she knew it.

~~~~~~~

Damalis walked in swinging his cane at face-level. Medusa squawked and ducked out of the way. “Watch it! You’re going to take someone’s eye out! Uh, no offense.”

He froze. “Wait. So – I’m inside? I’m actually in?”

“Yes?”

He raised his fists in victory. “Success! I didn’t run into the walls! It’s a miracle!” Cheering, he ran in circles, fists still in the air and chanting “I didn’t hit the wall, I didn’t hit the wall!”

Medusa couldn’t help but laugh.


	3. This is a Greek Myth. Did You Expect it to End Well?

“Hey Medusa! Damalis called, strolling in with ease. He hadn’t hit the walls since the first few times he’d come nearly three months ago. 

“Hi Damalis,” Medusa said in a disconsolate voice, remaining where she lay. “How are you?” 

“Oh boy. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” Medusa gritted her tusks and squeezed her eyes shut in pain. “I’m fine.”

“You are very obviously not fine. What is it?” He plopped down in front of her, closer than they usually sat.

“Nothing,” she snapped. “I’m fine. Drop it.” A pain struck through her abdomen, and she winced and groaned.

“Medusa,” he said firmly. He crossed his arms and gave her the most stubborn expression she’d ever seen on a human being. 

Medusa closed her eyes and hauled herself into a sitting position, rubbing her stomach.

“I’m pregnant,” she said flatly, apathetically.

Damalis stared at her in shock for a moment, his lips slowly parting and jaw slowly dropping. “Okay, I wasn’t expecting that,” he admitted. Medusa caught a brief flicker of emotion across his face – jealousy? But it was gone in an instant, and his face split into a smile. “Medusa, that’s great!”

“Damalis –”

“Who’s the father, may I ask?”

“Poseidon,” she snapped. His mouth fell open again and he gaped for what must have been a full minute.

“Okay Medusa, if you’ve attracted the attention of a god, one of the big three no less, you must be among the most beautiful women on earth, screw your protests.”

“Damalis, first off, that was before I was changed into a monster. Second, I’ve been pregnant for eleven months.” Damalis looked confused, appearing to be doing the math in his head.

“But, that’s…I thought it was supposed to be…nine months?”

“It was. And they know it.”

“They?”

“It’s twins. I can tell. And I’m positive that at least one of them has an extra set of legs.”

“That - that sounds painful.”

Medusa winced as they kicked her again, relentlessly. “It is,” she whispered. She hesitated a moment, then reached out for his hand. She took it and quickly placed it over her swollen stomach, retracting her hand quickly, hoping he wouldn’t have noticed the scales on her hand. Damalis looked surprised, and even more so as he felt her children.

“Woah. It’s like they’re trying to kick their way into the world.”

“I know.” She closed her eyes and took a ragged breath. “I’m getting scared that they’ll succeed.”

“Is that even possible?” he asked in alarm.

“I don’t know, but –” She was cut off when she heard voices. They were coming from the very entrance of the cave – loud, boisterous, and male.”

“Who’s that?! She squeaked in panic.”

“It sounds like a couple of the boys from the village,” he whispered back. Sitting up straight, he cupped his hands around his mouth, and before Medusa could stop him, shouted “Oi! Go away!”

“Damalis? Is that you?” one of the voices called in surprise.

“Really?" the other complained. "What are you doing in some cave? If you’re in trouble, we’re not going to save your sorry butt.”  
“I’m fine!” he called back in annoyance. “Just go away!”

“Why should we?” Medusa caught a glimpse of a figure coming around the corner, and immediately covered her eyes with her hands. Her shriek of alarm was completely covered by the men’s screams.

“What is that thing?!”

“It’s a monster!”

“Are those snakes on its head?!”

“It’s hideous!”

“Damalis, run! It’s right behind you!”

“What?”

“Go away!” Medusa screeched at them. “I don’t want to hurt you!”

“Kill it!”

“No!” she heard Damalis scream. “Medusa, run!” Medusa heard the sound of metal being pulled out of a leather scabbard, and she froze for just a moment too long. She felt a hand grab her arm and before she could react, it was yanked away from her eyes. She screamed and wretched herself away as the man holding the dagger in the air suddenly froze, his expression at first confusion, then horror, but as he opened his mouth to scream, the rock had encased his face. Medusa covered her eyes again.

“What did you do to him?!” the other one wailed. “I’ll kill you!”

“No!” Medusa cried. “You’ll get turned into stone!”

“What the Hades is going on?!” Damalis shouted.

“It’s a monster! Damalis, you need to get out of here!”

“I’m not leaving!”

“She killed him!”

“I’m cursed!” Medusa wailed. “Leave!”

“Come on Damalis!”

“You go on!” Medusa heard footsteps running away. She waited a moment before collapsing, sobbing into her hands, still covering her face.

“…Medusa?” She looked up in shock, and saw Damalis standing in the middle of the room, his cane on the other side of the floor, looking frightened and confused.

“What are you doing here? I thought you’d left with him.”

He shrugged. “No. I…well, for one thing, I don’t really know what in the freaking depths of Tartarus just happened. And I’d like too. For another…” He started to walk in her direction, but his arm clipped the statue of the man. He spun around in confusion. “What is…” he reached out and felt it, tracing the statues shoulder’s and face before seeming to realize what it was. His mouth dropped open in shock. “What…”

Medusa choked a sob out. “I’m cursed Damalis. Not only was I turned into a monster, but whenever someone looks at me, they turn to stone.

Damalis looked like he couldn’t understand her. “But then…how…”

“You’re blind,” she said simply, bluntly. He’d realized she was a monster by now, and he’d leave as soon as possible. It didn’t matter anymore. “You can’t see me, so you’re safe.”

Medusa hauled herself to her feet, careful of her swollen, painful stomach. She walked over to Damalis and took his hands in her own, scales, claws, and all. She guided his hands to her face, and released them, seeing a flicker of understanding pass through his own face. He slowly ran his fingers across her face. He felt her scaly cheeks, her nose, her chin. He found her under bitten jaw and protruding tusks. He felt her forehead and jumped slightly when he felt her snakes smell him with their tongues and wrap around his fingers.

“So that’s where the snakes were,” he said quietly. Medusa let out a half-laugh, half-sob. How could he joke even now? She drew back, hugging her arms, and turned away from him.

“Do you see now?” she whispered. “I’m a monster.” She buried her face in her hands. Suddenly, she felt a tug on her arm. She turned in surprise, and Damalis drew her into a hug.

“I don’t think you’re a monster,” he whispered. “Medusa, I…you’re one of the first people to ever actually make time for me…to not hate or judge me for my lack of sight. You’re the kindest person I know.”

“Damalis – I just killed a man.”

He hesitated. “You didn’t do it on purpose. He attacked first. The gods were the ones who cursed you to this form.”

“You’re – you’re making excuses for me. Damalis, don’t be a fool.”

“I’ve been called a fool before. I’ve been told it’s my worst flaw. I think that those who say that are right.”

“Damalis, stop – you don’t understand.”

“I understand enough.” He swallowed hard. “Medusa – I think – I –”

“In here!” She heard someone shout. She heard a clatter of footsteps and clanging metal, and shouting voices.”

“What’s happening?!” Medusa shrieked.

Damalis cursed. “The μπάσταρδος must have told the village. He thinks you’re a monster.”

Medusa caught a flurry of movement by the entrance and threw her arms over her face. “Go away!” She screamed. “I don’t want to turn you into stone!”

“Look! That’s what it did to Alcander!” Medusa heard the man from before say. “Kill it!”

“No!” She heard Damalis say. She felt a warmth press against her stomach, as if Damalis was pressing himself against her. “Don’t hurt her!”

“Damalis, you’re blind! It’s a monster! Run before it eats you!”

“SHE is not a monster!”

“Move foolish boy!” Medusa heard the hiss of metal against leather and knew that someone was drawing their blade.

“No!”

“MOVE!”

“Damalis, just go!” Medusa cried. She heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh and the warmth in front of her vanished, accompanied by a grunt and the thump of Damalis hitting the floor. Medusa squeezed her eyes shut behind her hands.

“NO!” The horrible sound of flesh tearing and bones shattering reached her ears, along with a wail of pain. Medusa opened her eyes in shock, and saw the body on the floor, a shocked expression on his face, blood running down his chest, and a dagger piercing his heart.

Damalis.

Medusa fell to her knees and stared at him in shock. The cave was completely silent except for Damalis’s ragged gasps.

“You killed him,” Medusa said, not looking up.

“Damalis –”

“YOU KILLED HIM!” Medusa shot to her feet and grabbed the man’s arm, snarling at him as he screamed while his flesh turned into stone.

The other men tried to attack her. It was hardly a battle. Within seconds, almost every man had been turned into a statue. Medusa glared at the last one, but only saw his tunic as he slipped out the exit.

Medusa dropped back to her knees and cradled Damalis’s head in her lap. “Damalis,” she whispered as tears started pouring out of her eyes.

The dagger still protruded from his chest. A bright red stain was slowly spreading, marring the pale fabric of his tunic. His eyes were glassier than normal as they faced the ceiling in their unfocused way. His hand weakly roamed around before finding and gripped her wrist. “Medusa,” he gasped. “I – I love –” he coughed “I love you.” His lips twisted into what might be called a smile. Then body went slack. His hand fell from her wrist.

Medusa sat there, stunned for several moments. Then she collapsed onto his limp form, weeping into his tunic, not caring about the blood staining her own clothes and skin. “I love you too, Damalis,” she whispered. She would have kissed him, kissed his unnaturally ashen lips, if her own deformed ones had allowed her. “And I will never forget you. I will give you a proper burial” She glared at the exit. “But there is something I need to do first.”

She swept out through the hall in record time, and saw the last man still scrambling away not very far in the distance, tripping and stumbling in his haste.

“My name is Medusa!” she screamed into the wind after him. “Let it be known that any man who dares to try and see my face shall be turned into solid stone!” She turned back and started walking back into her cave, trying to rub the tears from her eyes. She didn’t have a coin for Damalis to board the ferry of the dead. She prayed, for the first time in months, and the last time ever, to the gods.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first publicized work, and reviews are greatly appreciated!


End file.
